Happy New Year for Flagler County 4-H

Wednesday

Jan 10, 2018 at 2:01 AM

Flagler County 4-H has had an eventful holiday season as members celebrated with their clubs through fun events such as a cookie exchange and painting party.

Members also made an extra effort to give back to the community through preparing a "thank you" spaghetti dinner for community supporters and giving back to communities devastated by the effects of Hurricane Irma. Now, with all of the holiday fun behind, the youth and dedicated volunteers are ready to jump into the New Year with an array of learning opportunities.

The UF/IFAS Extension 4-H Youth Development Program uses a learn-by-doing approach to help youth gain the knowledge and skills they need to be responsible, productive citizens. This is accomplished by creating life skill development opportunities for youth through projects they have an interest in learning. The 4-H program utilizes the topics of archery, animal science, sewing and much more to teach youth communication, leadership, community service and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) skills.

Over the next several months, youth will be busy working on their 4-H projects and participating in school enrichment programs. The culminating event involves efforts being directed toward one of many events, depending on the youth’s area of interest.

Youth in grades four through six who are participating in the Tropicana Speech contest will be preparing their speeches and presenting to their classes and schools with the hope of qualifying for the Flagler County 4-H/Tropicana Public Speaking Contest in May at the Flagler County Extension Office. Also in the area of 4-H school enrichment is the embryology project, where elementary students will be learning about science as they hatch eggs and care for chicks in their classrooms.

4-H Club members participating in the archery discipline have been practicing and sharpening their skills to earn the "top shot" each week as well as preparing for an upcoming county competition at the Flagler County Fair.

Youth participating in animal science projects will be selecting and raising their food production animals over the next few months. Their time and dedication to learning to properly raise food animals for human consumption will be proudly displayed and sold during the Flagler County Fair and Youth Show in April. Equine also falls under the category of animal science and includes 4-H youth who have been improving their horsemanship skills with the goal of competing in the Area B Horse Show amid hopes of advancing to state and regional contests.

Also competing in the Flagler County Fair and Youth show are members of the 4-H cooking and sewing club, We Love to Learn. They have been improving their skills from year to year as they enter their home-sewn garments into the Home and Family Division.

The main purpose of 4-H and events like these are to provide opportunities for youth to learn the skills necessary to successfully emerge into adulthood. This could not be accomplished without the countless hours of dedication and the sharing of talents provided by our adult volunteers as well as the support of our Flagler community.

As the 4-H program advances into the New Year and new learning opportunities, be on the lookout for a fun and exciting 4-H event happening near you!

If you are interested in joining in, volunteering for or give a donation to Flagler County 4-H Youth Development Program, please visit http://florida4h.org/ and contact Amy Warwick Hedstrom at amywarwick001@ufl.edu or 386-437-7464.

The Flagler County 4-H program is open to all youth, ages 5-18, regardless of gender, race, color, nationality, creed or disability.

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